As a winter storm continues to impact rural Virginia communities, Franklin County emergency officials and residents are emphasizing the importance of advance preparation and community cooperation.

Pulaski County Emergency Management announced Monday that it had been awarded funding through the U.S Department of the Interior Office of Wildland Fire Slip-pm Tanker Program to strengthen local wildlife response capabilities.

One of the planned burns will cover approximately 40 acres near State Route 621, about 6.5 miles from Blacksburg.

Two people are hurt after a jet ski incident in the Spooky Hollow of Claytor Lake, Pulaski County Emergency Management officials said.